Tasmania! Two Days Away: Photo Essay

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Post by Portia

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Hi there Fragrant Fumies,

This week my mate Alice & I decided to take a moment out of our lives and go down to the island off the bottom of Australia. It’s called Tasmania and it is beautiful.

Tasmania is 68,401 km² and has around 500K people. Let’s compare that to South Korea at 96,920 km2 and 49M (July 2015 est.). Yes, it’s a quiet out of the way place full of beautiful mountains and rivers, small towns and larger ones, friendly people and an enormous amount of history, quite a lot of it as brutal and unforgiving as the winds that whip up direct from Antarctica.

What better way to commemorate such a journey than to do a Photo Essay and have you guys along on the trip.

I know you are absolutely agog to know what fragrances I took. EASY! I grabbed my Hermès 15ml travel size of Vanille Galante, a vintage Youth Dew, something I didn’t even look at and what’s left of my Oriental Brulant that I wore for the whole 2 days and LOVED!

Here are the pics of our adventure! All the gorgeous scenery ones were taken by Alice and I took the rest.
Portia xxx

Tasmania! Two Days Away: Photo Essay

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #1Ready for TAKE OFF! One of my besties, Alice, and I off to look at Tasmania. YAY!

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #3Hotel Grand Chancellor in Launceston. Trip Advisor gave it VERY mixed reviews but we found it comfortable & clean and the staff very friendly.

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #4

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #5I know, but I love BUFFET BREAKFAST!!!

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #6Serendipitously it was Farmers Market Saturday Morning and we had a wander through. The produce was unbelievably gorgeous and Alice bought some local wines, meringues and fresh picked, unsprayed raspberries! Happy Girl. We also grabbed some spicy sunflower and pumpkin seeds for our BFF Kath.

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #7

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #8

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #9

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #10

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #11Home made chocolate whiskey meringues. WINNER!

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #12

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #13Spicy Pumpkin & Sunflower Seeds.

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #18

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #14That will be Pinot Gris for the sexy bitch please.

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #15Launceston has a wonderful olde worlde feel to it, we really liked the atmosphere and the people. It’s a cool town for a funky bunch.

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #16

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #17

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #27On the road again. We hired a car and drove ourselves. Way more fun.

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #19

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #20

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #21

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #22

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #24

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #25

Tasmania Alice Portia April 2016 #26

 

Sing Us A Song……

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Post by Portia

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Hi APJ,

Life is hectic. Happily hectic. So much going on right now. Filling in for a couple of the girls at Trivia this week, so 5 nights in drag, right now I’m in Tasmania with one of my besties to have a look around for Friday & Saturday. Add that to a whole host of regular life stuff and I am also going back to Tupperware starting next week. I know, but I really do love the extra challenge.

Vintage Diva Ungaro

What did I spritz today? I had a vintage Dive by Ungaro arrive this morning. You can bet your sweet ass that I triple spritzed my chest and WhoEEEEEE, boy did I drift away. Amazing, I could light up a town on my fumes.

Sing Us A Song……

So, long story short I’m putting up a song today. A video. One of the voices I’ve grown up with is Billy Joel. I love his music and sometimes I like to spritz myself heavily with a fragrance and put the music up a little loud, close my eyes and drift away. Piano Man is a perfect song for that. A few minutes to absolutely let all the troubles of the world go and I’m back i the game, refreshed, clear headed and often with an elusive answer.

photosteve101 Music an art for itself Headphones and music FlickrFlickr

Try it, it may work for you too.

 

Here’s today’s choice.

Billy Joel performs “Piano Man” with Kevin Spacey, Boyz II Men, Natalie Maines, Josh Groban, Gavin DeGraw,  Tony Bennett, LeAnn Rimes and Michael Feinstein during the ceremony where he was honoured with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song on November 19, 2014 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C..

You may want to watch it the first time and then spritz, close your eyes for the second round.
Portia xx

Billy Joel & Guests – Piano Man

Mohur Extrait GIVEAWAY WINNER

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Post by Portia

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SHIT! Sorry APJ,

Sandra and I completely forgot about drawing this giveaway! You all are so great and got really involved.
Let’s find out who our lucky winner is.
Good Luck everyone!
Portia xxx

Mohur Extrait GIVEAWAY WINNER

Mohur Extrait by Neela Vermeire Creations 2014 BottleSandra

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, coriander, ambrette (musk mallow), carrot seeds, pepper, elemi
Heart: Iris, jasmine, rose, violet, almond, leather
Base: Sandalwood, amber, woody notes, patchouli, agarwood (oud), benzoin, vanilla, tonka bean

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x sample pack of all of Neela’s creations including a tiny bit of the Extrait
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Tuesday 5th April 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org

winner-is HighestSelfHighestSelf

Helen Burrows

The winner will have till Monday 11th April 2016 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Indian Wood 11.1 by Pierre Guillaume for Parfumerie Generale 2016

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Post by Portia

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Hi there APJ,

I meant to have this review out to you by last weekend but stuff got in the way. Sorry. As you know I’m madly in love with Pierre Guillaume so you’ll be getting a review coloured by my adoration.

Arabian Horse Parfumerie Generale pierre-guillaume BeauteTestBeaute-Test

I know, it’s rude how gorgeous he is. My experience of one afternoon was that in life he is sweet as pie, funny, charming and naughty. There is a brilliance to him that I found quite dazzling. he quickly put me at my ease and we talked for a while. Yes, besotted.

Tranoi Paris 2016 #16

Indian Wood 11.1 by Parfumerie Generale 2016

Indian Wood 11.1 by Pierre Guillaume

Indian Wood 11.1 Parfumerie Generale FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Sandalwood, vetiver, moss, spicy mint, nutmeg, cardamom, coconut milk, lemon zest

The Parfumerie Generale site gives an ingredient list: Alcohol, Parfum (Fragrance), Aqua (Water), Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citral, Coumarin, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol.

Chai! I smell chai, in the pot being made by my last partners maid in Gurgaon, just outside New Delhi, India. Sweet, milky, spicy and warming but with a green facet that gives it a papery rasp and picks Indian Wood up. Interestingly I am finding it very hard to parse the notes, though I’m sure someone better at that particular trick could do it, and after a couple of wears I’m finding myself thinking of Indian Wood in the opening as chai and then Indian Wood. A smell unto itself.

Yes, as Pierre’s way is, this is a sweet fragrance. Not sugar sweet though. His sweetness comes from the sweetness of milky woods, piquant spices and the warm memories of cooking with Mum.

Through the heart Indian Wood dries out and becomes a solid, smooth, resinous and sheer cloak. I feel wrapped safely in a cocoon of softest wool that is spiderweb light yet warming and tough.

If you are already a fan of Pierre Guillaume’s work then you’ll love this new warmer and spicier extension on Harmatan Noir from 2006. If you don’t like his style then I can’t imagine Indian Wood winning you over, though I have been wrong before…..

First In Fragrance will have Indian Wood very soon

giveaway kbairdkbaird

Indian Wood GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 2ml Indian Wood manufacturers sample
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged. Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us if you like Pierre’s work? Is there a favourite already or are you awaiting the one?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 10th April 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Thursday 14th April 2016 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

 

Vanille d’Iris by Geza Schoen for Ormonde Jayne 2015

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Post by Tara

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Hey APJ!

I’ve come across from A Bottled Rose today to hang out at my mate Portia’s place and talk about a perfume I came to with great expectations…

Vanille d’Iris by Ormonde Jayne 2015

Vanille d’Iris by Geza Schoen

Vanille d'Iris Ormonde Jayne FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Coriander seed, Sicilian bergamot, carrot seed, schinus molle (pink pepper)
Heart: Orris absolute, jasmine absolute, magnolia bud oil, osmanthus
Base: Vanilla extract, Tahitian vanilla bud, cedar wood, vetiver, amber, musk

From the moment I heard about its release last year, I couldn’t wait to try Vanille d’Iris. Ormonde Jayne’s fragrances are well done and wearable, while still having something interesting to say. I love iris and was interested to find out how it would be combined with vanilla.

Luckily I didn’t have to pay to get hold of some. My great pal Val the Cookie Queen sent me an unwanted sample, being far from enamoured with it herself. I had only read positive reviews therefore I was now beyond intrigued.

There’s nothing to dislike about the immediate opening combo of pink pepper and bergamot. Once it settles down, I become more puzzled than anything else. I get a watery thin vanilla and some papery iris before the overall impression quickly turns into one of a Stargazer lily. How strange.

Vanille d'Iris Ormonde Jayne Audrey Stargazer Lily FlickrFlickr

I don’t find it a scrubber but I don’t find it enjoyable either. Mind you, I’m not normally a lily fan and I don’t like the indoles thrown out by Stargazers. I thought maybe I was imagining things: How could an OJ be anything other than squeaky clean?

A little while later, I felt validated when I saw Portia’s typically perceptive review on Perfume Posse mentioned a “poopy undercurrent”. Ha! Not just me then.

I must say Vanille d’Iris is most definitely NOT a skanky scent but if you do register that facet and it’s not to your taste, it’s hard to disregard.

The vanilla is not the cupcake, sugary variety but it’s also missing the comfort factor. The iris isn’t powdery or doughy but rather carrot-y. Looking at the note list, I wonder if it’s actually the carrot seed that’s throwing it for me because I’m normally a fan of iris accords.

l was disappointed because I really like the Ormonde Jayne line as a whole and had high hopes for this one. I own and love both Ormonde Woman and Champaca but for some reason Vanille d’Iris sadly just hits an off-note (literally) with me.

Vanille d'Iris Ormonde Jayne Poo4SALE GeographGeograph

It should be pointed out that other reviewers love it so don’t be put off if you’re yet to try it. Portia found the subtle indolic backnote to be earthy in a good, if unexpected way and sums up the perfume as “classic and classy”.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and I Scent You A Day
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

If you’ve tried Vanille d’Iris I’d love to hear about your own experience in the comments.

Tara xxx

(Ed: Go read A Bottled Rose)

A ‘Mix Tape’ from Luca Turin!

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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Hello Gorgeous APJ-ers!

It’s been an eventful month in my little world and thus I have plenty of potential fragrant stories wafting around inside my head. I’ve begun a few, though I realized they were all paving a path to LUCA TURIN! Scent critic and olfactive/olfactory know-it(-almost)-all! The more I learn of this man and his work the more I am in awe. I mean lets start with his office: I hear next to his desk is a shiny GCMS machine that one could only dream of having!! He often references in his articles, running this and that through to compare and check on chemical compositions, changes between vintages etc. (sigh)

Folio Columns 2003-2014 Kindle Edition by Luca Turin AmazonAmazon

Recently I posted about Luca Turin’s book ‘FOLIO Columns 2003-2014’ The next day I got a thank you message from a “Luca Turin.” Of course immediately I thought it was someone merely posing as him! After a few cryptic messages that he answered correctly I realized it was THE REAL HIM!!

Jeepers. My mind went into overdrive plucking up courage to perhaps ask for a little interview…one with a twist. Something interesting for someone I imagined easily bored by inane questions.

 A ‘Mix Tape’ from Luca Turin!

As our correspondence continued and I trawled slowly through his book I observed his passion for fragrance is parallel to a love of classical music. Being more of an…I guess predominantly… “rock chick’ I have a limited understanding of classical music, save for dusty old Bach numbers in the back of my head from school aged piano and clarinet lessons and Pachelbel’s Canon (which you can’t avoid if you’ve ever worked in the Spa industry). So the idea came to me to ask the great Luca Turin for A MIX TAPE!! My idea was for him to make me a list of his favorite tunes and then match fragrances to them and email them through. Simple!

Luca wrote back with a link to a similar style broadcast he did for Radio BBC 3’s Saturday Classics:

Listen here

As it all goes by very quickly, here is the list of both music and fragrances for you to read along too:

Luca Turin’s Fragrance and Music Matches

• Diorama (Edmond Roudnitska for Dior 1949): Mouret’s Rondeau
• Cristalle (Henri Robert for Chanel 1974): Martinu’s Concerto for flute, violin and chamber orchestra Mvt 1
• Apres L’Ondee (Jacques Guerlain 1906): Debussy’s Images ‘Reflet dans l’eau’ and ‘Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut’
• Emeraude (Francois Coty 1921): Brahms String Sextet no. 1 in B flat major Op.18 Mvt 1
• Habanita (Molinard 1921): Enrique Santos Discépolo Esta Noche Me Emborracho
• Shaïna (Atelier Delteil release date unknown): Howard Skempton’s Lento
• Nombre Noir (Jean-Yves Leroy for Shiseido 1982): Scriabin’s Prelude in B-flat Major
• Chamade (Paul Guerlain 1969): Barber’s Violin Concerto Opus 14
• Vivre (Molyneux 1971): Vishal-Shekhar’s ‘Zehnaseeb’ from the Bollywood musical Hasee Toh Phasee
• New York (Patricia de Nicolai 1989): Ralph Towner’s Blue Sun
• Vetiver (Jean-Paul Guerlain 1961): Shostakovich’s String Quartet no. 10 in A flat major Op.118 – 1st mvt
• Chinatown (Aurelien Guichard for Bond No 9 2005): Egberto Gismonti’s Lôro
• Tanismal (Luca’s own creation – flexitral molecule 2008): Brahms Piano Concerto no. 2 in B flat major Op.83 – 4th mvt

HOW FREAKING FABULOUS IS THAT?!!

Perfumes The A-Z Guide Luca Turin Tania Sanchez Book DepositoryBook Depository

You can check also out Luca Turin’s new blog Perfumes I Love

Let me know your thoughts? Did you enjoy? Agree? Have you any songs and fragrances that seem to be a perfect match?

XX Until next time! Ainslie XX

Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls 1996

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Post by Azar

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Hi there, Perfume Pals!

It’s time for spring -cleaning! Well…I’ve actually been at it for over a month now! While rummaging around in the chaos of the perfume storage I discovered mass quantities of back-ups bottles https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2016/02/15/back-up-bottles/. This stash includes a surfeit of vintage Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls, in various concentrations, totaling approximately 400 ml. At one point I must have been grooving on Black Pearls, but for some reason I forgot all about it. 2016, the 20th anniversary of the Black Pearls fragrance, seems to be a good year to resurrect this old beauty and re-discover –

Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls 1996

The Power of the Peach (Part I)

Black Pearls Elizabeth Taylor FragranticaFragrantica

When I sat down to write this post I wasn’t surprised that the name of the individual perfumer or team responsible for creating Black Pearls has vanished in the mists of time. I did learn that the fragrance was concocted and distributed by the Elizabeth Arden division of Parfums International, the same company that put together Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds, the fragrance that is, arguably, the best selling celebuscent in the world.

The creation of the Black Pearl fragrance, like most ventures associated with Elizabeth Taylor, has a romantic back-story featuring gifts of precious gems. Elizabeth Taylor was a client of Salvador Assael, the flamboyant New York pearl trader and marketing genius who single handedly transformed what were once considered “junk” pearls grown in the black lipped oyster into precious Tahitian cultured pearls, creating new multimillion dollar pearl farming businesses in the process. It is rumored that Assael was infatuated with Elizabeth Taylor and courted her with a perfect pair of very large Tahitian pearl earrings. It is also said that he claimed to have inspired the creation of the Black Pearl fragrance. In addition to Elizabeth Taylor, Assael’s client list included many other celebrities, politicos, industrialists, their wives and mistresses, including Margaret Thatcher, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn Carter and Evelyn Lauder. Several of the women were also recipients of precious black pearl earrings.

Black Pearls Elizabeth Taylor ASSAEL NYTimesNYTimes (If there’s a problem using this photo please get in touch)

Elizabeth Taylor’s Black Pearls perfume seems to have been designed to appeal to a consumer who wanted to associate herself with the 1990s NY celebrity scene and the glamorous excesses of Assael’s clients. I have to admit that it is hard for me to understand how spritzing a cheap fragrance created by a big mass-market firm could create the illusion of exclusivity, wealth and glamour. It may very well be that the power of the press, featuring print ads of the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor and the power of the fragrance itself, rife with luscious peach, amber, lotus and vanilla contributed to a public image of sexy, sensual entitlement.

I’m running out of room here and will have to reserve my actual review and a give-away of the vintage version of Elizabeth Taylor’s Black Pearls perfume for my next post. I do have a couple of questions this week. Can a fragrance make you feel like a celebrity? Do you ever wear a perfume that is over the top sensual or one that gives you a sense of entitlement and privilege?

Azar xx

Cologne Nocturne GIVEAWAY WINNERS

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Post by Portia

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Hey APJ,

We have 4 winners today. I hope you guys love the Cologne Nocturne, I think it’s gorgeous.

Portia xx

Cologne Nocturne GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Cologne Nocturne Le Galion FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, palisander rosewood
Heart: Clary sage, rosemary, thyme, lavender, spicy notes
Base: Cedar, patchouli, woody notes

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will receive:
1 x decant of Cologne Nocturne by Le Galion
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged. Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us what is your favourite Cologne?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 3rd April 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

WINNERS markmontanoblogsmarkmontanoblogs

TIM

SUN MI

NEVA

DAMIR

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winners will have till Thursday 7th April 2016 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Mohur Extrait by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2014

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Post by Sandra

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When Val, the Cookie Queen, comes to Vienna I know that we will have a great day chatting, laughing, walking and perhaps sniffing some perfumes together. New Year’s Eve 2014 she came into town to have brunch together with Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels and Lady Jane Grey. This day was a celebration.

Mohur Extrait by Neela Vermeire Creations 2014 Amarylis bloomSandra

Val and I first met at Starbucks with our men in tow and she pulls out a cosmetic bag and whispers “Hey, Sandra, try this new perfume from Neela Vermeire – Mohur Extrait.“ Knowing how precious the extrait could be I was still hesitant and wrinkled up my nose carefully smelling the lid. Ha! As if I could get an idea of what was to come! Gingerly I spritzed the tiniest bit on my wrist, had a good sniff, promptly forgot about it and we were off chatting and laughing.

Mohur Extrait by Neela Vermeire Creations 2014

Mohur Extrait by Bertrand Duchaufour

Mohur Extrait Neela Vermeire Creations FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, coriander, ambrette (musk mallow), carrot seeds, pepper, elemi
Heart: Iris, jasmine, rose, violet, almond, leather
Base: Sandalwood, amber, woody notes, patchouli, agarwood (oud), benzoin, vanilla, tonka bean

Little did I know the burning ache that Mohur Extrait would light in my soul. After I came home I discovered the true beauty of this elixir and spent the next 6 hours with my nose glued to my wrist and dreaming.

On to the perfume… Let me begin by saying that I absolutely adore Neela’s bottles. The box arrived and as I unwrapped the paper and removed the bottle from the box my breath was taken away with the beautiful amethyst colour of the glass. The feel of the bottle in my hand is a perfect fit. The lid is solid, heavy and embossed with her logo.

Mohur Extrait by Neela Vermeire Creations 2014 Christmas roseSandra

The first spray of Mohur Extrait opens with a smooth spicy rose accord. The spices are not, to my nose, distinguishable from each other. They mold the rose so that it quietly whispers come hither to me. The almond milk is swirled together with the roses and spices and makes the whole impression comforting, warming and welcoming. This is not a rose soliflore perfume. Don’t be afraid of the list of notes nor of the spices, the extrait is extremely well balanced and just stunning. Longevity is excellent but on me it sits close to the skin. It brings to mind the deep red roses or the velvet smooth texture of the scarlet amarylis that I had in the flat on New Year’s Eve 2014. The lights twinkling in the background resemble the sparkling elegance of the Extrait.

Mohur Extrait by Neela Vermeire Creations 2014 BottleSandra

The drydown is where my love affair began and continues with Mohur Extrait. Sandalwood is interwoven with the rose to create a most scrumptious combination of creamy, slightly sweet woody rose which beckons every fibre of my soul to let go of all of the stress and worries in life. There is a tinge of vanilla but it is not sweet at all, in fact it is a dry vanilla if that makes any sense at all. The star of the Extrait for me is where the sandalwood sings its loving ballad to the roses and releases me to a dreamy state.

Giveaway lavanyasrecipeslavanyasrecipes

Mohur Extrait GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x sample pack of all of Neela’s creations including a tiny bit of the Extrait
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged. Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us if you have tried any of the NVC perfumes and which one is your favourite. If you have not tried any please tell me which one most appeals to you.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Tuesday 5th April 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Friday 8th April 2016 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

 

 

Amouage Gold pour Homme by Guy Robert for Amouage 1998

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Post by Portia

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Heya Bargain Hunters,

Recently there was a very excited thrill through the frag community. One of the biggest discounters, FragranceNet, was having an end of year clearance on eBay. I think they were getting rid of the years returns and calling them 95% full. The postage was a bit of a bummer to Australia but still the deals were so good it was hard to pass up. (I sent mine to a mate in the USA who sent it on at a fraction of the cost) So, what did I buy? Extra Niki de Saint Phalle 60ml splash in a beautiful bottle, a 100ml Parfum de Peau by Montana that still has enormous amounts of outrageously naughty bits and for a steal a lidless 100ml of …

Amouage Gold pour Homme by Amouage 1998

Amouage Gold pour Homme by Guy Robert

Amouage Gold pour Homme Amouage FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top Dog rose, Lily-of-the-valley, Frankincense
Heart: Orris root, Jasmine, Myrrh
Base: Amber, Oakmoss, Musk, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cedar, Civet

Disclaimer! I wore this the night it arrived and I may have overspritzed. Jin got in the car and within a minute was asking what fragrance I was wearing because it’s disgusting and so big and reminds him of the smell they spray in old peoples homes to get rid of the old people smell. His head was pounding so badly from it that he had to take headache tablets and open his window to full. Poor boy.

I on the other hand am swept away by Amouage Gold Man.

Amouage Gold Man YouTubeYouTube

On opening I get a fabulous blast of incense, the rose and lily of the valley play backing roles and were they not mentioned in the notes list I’d be hard pressed to pick them. What I smell is an animalic frankincense that is like a 1000 x blast of the little pebbles you can buy in the Middle East markets. Patchouli and woods are present after a few minutes and white flowers but not specifically jasmine, my nose also picks some daffodil/narcissus. There is something CHANEL No 5-ish about Amouage Gold Man that I like very much.

Then the whole fragrance turns beautifully soapy on me, expensive, waxy soap like in the 20th century. I’m not sure what the notes are now, the scent has become Amouage Gold Man for me now. A conglomerate scent that is sexy and big but not overbearing (Jin would beg to differ). I find it a very comfortable scent to wear. Intricate, harmonious and nuanced; like lying on a silk, hand knotted rug from Kashmir and still being able to smell the market you bought it in and remembering the people who are fun to bargain with and smile so happily.

Amouage Gold Man Jaipur Carpet Market WikipediaWikipedia

Next morning I still have traces of Amouage Gold Man lingering, buzzing over my skin. Soft woods and resins of no name that have now melded with my own scent; me but not me. Better by far….

Further reading: Non Blonde and Candy Perfume Boy
Libertine Parfumerie has $415/100ml and FREE Australian Delivery
Peony Melbourne has $415/100ml and FREE Australian Delivery
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/0.5ml

What is your Amouage?
Portia x